Technology has allowed hoteliers to extend their operations beyond the limits of national borders. Whether growth has come through opening new hotels, acquiring foreign ones, or franchising out your brand, technology has made it easier than ever to operate in different geographies.
Technology means instant communication, integrated systems, and a standardized booking process for guests across the world.
But it’s not all sunshine and roses. As helpful as technology is, it brings about its own unique set of challenges, especially if your hospitality business is an international operation.
This blog is going to show you what technology challenges your international hotel operations are going to face, and how you can overcome them.
The 3 technology challenges of operating hotels in different geographies
1. The Hotel Technology Security Challenge
If you have many hotels that use technology, there is a higher risk that you’ll be targeted by cyber-criminals.
When cyber-criminals hear “international hotel” they see dollar signs. That’s because you keep valuable data, such as:
- Payment card information
- Personal information, like email addresses and cell-phone numbers
Access to this information is extremely lucrative for hackers.
There are some other reasons why operating hotels in different geographies make you a target.
For one, there are likely to be more weaknesses in your cyber-security’s armor. If you own a small motel, you often only have to make sure one or two people don’t open sketchy-looking emails. With an international hospitality organisation, you rely on many more people using safe cyber practices.
The other reason is that you will be more technology dependent. Your hotel will use a lot of software to ensure that it runs smoothly. When that’s the case, hackers know that you’ll be willing to shell out substantial amounts to get back to business as usual. If they’re able to breach your system, they’ll be able to blackmail you.
The solution: First, make sure that your staff have excellent cyber hygiene. That means that they don’t click what they shouldn’t, and they immediately report what they should. Data-wise, the most important thing to do is to be certain that you’re following whatever the local data regulations are, whether that is PCI (Payment Card Industry) Compliance or GDPR.
2. The Hotel Technology Integration and Standardization Challenge
When an organisation grows it gets more complex.
Every time you open, or acquire, a new hotel, you’re presented with a challenge: how do you integrate it – technologically – with the rest of your business?
Not every software scales well. There might be software that suits your hotel perfectly when you only have a few local operations. That’s great, but if you want to grow your organisation and have successful hotels across different geographies, you’re going to have to make sure that your technology can scale.Otherwise, you’ll have ineffective systems and unhappy customers.
You also don’t want to end up with a mosaic of mismatched technology. For example, if you’re using different software to manage your staff in different geographies, it will cause headaches for both your HR and Finance functions. It will also mean that you’re more likely to make a mistake with wages, which will either be expensive or upset your staff.
Unintegrated technology makes solving problems far harder – whenever you have a similar tech problem, you won’t be able to use the same solution. It’ll depend on which hotel it is, what software that hotel is using, and what local expertise you have.
It is especially challenging when you acquire a hotel in a new country. You’ll need to coordinate many moving parts to ensure that your new hotel is integrated with the rest.
Also, if you’re operating your hotels under a single brand, you don’t want the guests to have to learn how to use a new system each time.
The solution is: Integrate and standardize your technology. You can do this by only using software that is easily scalable and using the same technology across your hotels.
3. The Hotel Technology Staff and IT Support Challenge
You’re likely going to use some mix of in-house technology staff and outsourced IT support.
You are going to have to make sure that your technology staff, wherever they are based, have the training needed for your guests to always have a great stay. This might be more difficult in some places than others – for example, where there are skills shortages or more expensive labour.
That means that, at least initially, you may have to rely on outsourced IT support. For that, you’ll have to pick the right team.
There are a few things you need to look for in a company that provides IT support, especially for a multi-jurisdictional hospitality organisation:
- True 24/7 support
- A technology partner, not just a service provider
- An international outlook
- Hospitality expertise
The right IT support partner will not only help you address your problems as they arise but create an effective technology strategy to prevent future hurdles.
If you manage to train your tech staff and choose a good support provider, security and integration become far smaller concerns. While those challenges will always exist, you’ll know that they’re being dealt with.
On the other hand, with untrained staff and a lack of IT support, security and integration will become near-insurmountable challenges.
The solution is: Train your staff and partner with a trusted IT support provider. If you get this right, you’ll be able to focus on what you’re best at – providing an unforgettable experience for your guests.
We at Cardonet provide expert IT support to hospitality businesses and have two decades’ experience doing so.
We are experts in helping hoteliers overcome their technology challenges, whether local or global. If you’d like to hear how we can help you, please don’t hesitate to request a quote. Otherwise, you can reach out to us today on +44 203 034 2244 or +1 323 984 8908.
We provide 24/7 coverage throughout the United States, United Kingdom and Europe.
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